By the time children reach elementary school, they are growing in their understanding of the human body and of how people become ill. School-agers have a general understanding of minor sicknesses like the common cold and other illnesses spread by germs.

Children can grasp that illness can be caused by something inside the body and and that illness can affect several different parts of the body. They also understand that illness can then be treated through an action like taking medicine. Children are more likely to understand analogies like “the brain is like computer” or “the heart is a pump.”

Many school-age children are fascinated by the human body and want more details than younger children do. School-agers' concerns are similar to those of young children. Both groups worry about “catching” the illness; they may feel like they did something to cause the illness; and they may worry about who is going to help take care of them.

Ways to help:

• Provide your children with information, and answer children’s questions honestly and consistently, as many times as asked.
• If the illness is not contagious, tell the children that they cannot get sick from being around the hospitalized person. Use this opportunity to help them better understand the illness.
• Give your child a way to help out. Many school-agers gain a sense of accomplishment from doing, and like many adults, feel helpless in the face of a loved one's illness. It can be beneficial for a child to have a job around the house or a way to support the person who is sick.
• Recognize that many children in this age group struggle with fears or worries of making the illness worse.
• Reassure them that many people with serious illness do get better.
• Involve your children in decisions and plans about their own routines and schedules.
• Encourage them to continue participating in extracurricular activities, and reassure them that it is okay for them to have fun and spend time with their friends.
• Have regularly scheduled family meetings to talk about what is happening or changes in the medical treatment or plan of care.